


The Sapphire's Heart

by SnowKuki



Category: RWBY
Genre: Encouraging words, Implied/Referenced Character Death, probably depression, will add more tags as time goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22899538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowKuki/pseuds/SnowKuki
Summary: The Battle of Haven: Most remember it as a pivotal victory, but only one remembers it as her greatest loss. How could Ruby possibly move forward after that day? Even with the support of her friends and family, there would always be one person missing. But not all is forgotten and not all is lost. After all, the soul holds more than she realizes.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm re-uploading this story 'cause I feel like I've written better and I have a vague grasp of how I want this to play out. Basically it'll follow Volume 6 with some obvious key changes and I'll update the tags appropriately when I know what's going on.  
> I'll do my best to make this as least confusing as possible! Reviews are much appreciated.

Everyone says that the Battle of Haven was a victory. The White Fang was driven back, stopped in their plans to destroy the CCT tower and take over the city. The forces of Salem, while unknown to the public, also failed their goals, though the damage was enough to strike fear into those who knew about her. So, to many, Haven was saved by the students of Beacon’s heroism.

But for Ruby, it only reminded her of her greatest loss.

The brunette was silently sitting alone behind their rented house in Mistral, her legs idly dangling over the cliff. She had mindlessly watched the sun rise over an hour ago, but she didn’t care for its beauty or warmth. She didn’t care that it meant a new day was here. She didn’t care that it meant they had survived a nightmare.

Because she was still living in it.

Ruby hardly paid the coming footsteps any attention until she felt a gentle hand on her head. She didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“How long have you been up?” Yang softly asked.

“I didn’t sleep,” she answered quietly. “I couldn’t.”

The blonde didn’t push on that matter. Instead, she just sat as close as she could next to Ruby. Yang hoped that she could provide her sister with a grounding presence, but Ruby’s lack of reaction already dashed that wish. Ruby had hardly spoken over the past few days and her listlessness only became more apparent the more time everyone spent together to plan their next move.

But not _everyone_ was there.

The sound of the back door sliding open caught Yang’s attention, but not Ruby’s. Turning her head, the blonde spotted Blake standing at the frame, her arms clutching nervously at her coat. Blake wasn’t sure if she should intrude on the sisters, but a nod from Yang was all the invitation she needed. She quickly made her way to them, sitting on Ruby’s right side to mirror her partner.

For a while, the three sat in silence, soaking in the warm sunlight and listening to the birds starting to sing. It was peaceful and calm; a stark contrast to the battle that nearly blew up a part of the city just a few nights ago, but they knew that the peace wouldn’t last. Not with their mission.

After a few more tense minutes, Blake finally spoke up with a hopeful lit. “The others have been preparing breakfast and I saw Ren bring out the pancake mix. If we go in now, we can beat Nora before she piles everything onto her plate.”

Ruby didn’t smile. “I don’t feel like going inside.”

Yang only grew more concerned. She briefly met Blake’s eyes before trying her own bargain. “Then how about we get our own stack and eat them out here? We can all share.”

Neither of the older girls missed the way Ruby’s fingers clenched around the silver object in her lap. A dejected sigh left her lips. “All of us…”

“Please, Ruby,” Yang quietly begged, her hand resting on her sister’s shoulder. In all her years, she had never seen Ruby so...broken. It made her feel more useless being unable to bring her spirit back up. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t hurting, too, but she’ll always try to put her own feelings aside to help her little sister. “Blake and I… We’re all here for each other, remember? You gotta talk to us. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

Ruby only bit her lip and shook her head.

As a last-ditch effort, Yang had to address the elephant in the room, as painful as it already was. Gently, she continued, “Do you think she’d be happy if she saw you like this?”

Those words seemed to bring a spark of recognition in the young leader’s eyes and her breath caught in her throat. The memories of the battle flew by in an instant, leaving a fresh trail of tears down her cheeks. She heaved a breath, and then two, before she began to shakily speak. “How can I even start to try,” Ruby sobbed, her head hanging over her lap as her tears fell softly onto the brooch in her hands, “without Weiss?”

Yang surged forward, quickly enveloping Ruby in a tight hug. She could feel tears welling in her own eyes and she squeezed them shut in an attempt to stop the flow. Ruby cried into her shoulder, not bothering to keep silent and never letting go of the brooch. Blake scooted closer to the pair and wrapped one arm around Ruby’s back while her hand rested loosely on top of her leader’s clenched fists.

Blake wasn’t there when it happened. She was only able to get the story out of Yang once they had settled back into their rented house to recover. It was still tense talking to the blonde after all this time, but she was in a better state to tell the event than Ruby. The young leader had just seemed to shut down after the whole battle. It was nearly impossible to get a single word out of her and, really, who could blame her?

Watching any person die was traumatic enough, although in their line of work it would be inevitable. You can’t save everyone, no matter how hard you try. But it’s a different feeling when you watched your partner, your _friend_ , disappear right in front of you. According to Yang, everyone witnessed the spear that Cinder threw as a distraction to get away from the battle, how it hit its mark in Weiss’ side, and how she lied so still in her own blood.

Ruby didn’t talk much about that moment.

Yang was staying strong for her sister, but Blake could tell that she was struggling to keep herself in check. She’d catch her on the verge of tears, but Yang would quickly play it off in favor of helping Ruby. She and Blake were, of course, hurting just the same at losing their friend, but the shock had struck harder with the brunette.

Team JNR, especially, was keen on seeing them through this, but the most they could do while they waited for Ozpin’s plan was just to be _here_. Knowing that they understood what it was like to lose a teammate already spoke volumes, but the recovery would come in due time.

* * *

Later that night, Ruby forced herself to lie in bed. She hadn’t slept much over the past few days, but she didn’t really want to. Every time she closed her eyes she could only see _that_ scene. Something she wished was just a nightmare that she’d wake up from only to open her eyes and realize she was reliving a memory. 

Yang had at least convinced her to sleep in her room. It reminded Ruby of when they were younger and when she would get too scared to sleep by herself. She had to admit that she felt relief at not being alone, that Yang would be here for her, but that feeling could only go so far. She turned her head towards the other bed and could see Yang’s calm form under the covers, her golden hair clear in the window’s moonlight.

Another sigh.

Another attempt at sleep.

Ruby closed her eyes and was immediately transported to the Grand Hall of Haven. She gripped Crescent Rose as she stared down Cinder, wanting nothing more than to slice that grin through her face. As she took a step forward, the rest of the battle commenced. Her friends scattered to their own opponents, but their sounds were muffled, as if Ruby was underwater. Suddenly, one sound rang so clearly that she couldn’t help but turn to look for the millionth time in her dreams...

The whistle of Cinder’s spear flying through the air.

The sight of red blooming on a dress of blue before a cry ripped through Ruby’s throat.

A swirl of rose petals caught the body, but she knew that she was too late. Weiss’ warmth was already gone and Ruby could only watch as the pale blue snowflakes drifted away, leaving her to hold nothing but air.

A small, metallic object dropped onto the floor, clinking lightly.

And then Ruby woke up in bed in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and mind racing. She slowly pushed herself up, vaguely remembering that she wasn’t the only one in the room. Yang had become a very light sleeper over the past few months, but luckily she hadn’t woken up this time. Taking all the care she could muster, Ruby tiptoed out of the room and found herself outside, sitting at the edge of the cliff again.

Heaving another sigh, she looked down at the sapphire brooch she held so gently in her hands. The moonlight cast a very soft glow on it causing Ruby to silently cry alone once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks after the attack on Haven found the group waiting at the Mistral train station. The Argus Limited would be boarding soon and they only had to wait for Qrow and Blake to come back to their meeting bench before they’d head to the platform together.

The atmosphere was different in the station compared to the school, which proved to be a good distraction for all of them. Nora was rambling on and on about beaches in Argus which Jaune and Ren responded to with humor. Yang was sitting beside Oscar, making idle conversation, but made sure to keep a subtle eye on her sister. After Ruby’s string of nightmares, Yang was too wary of leaving her alone.

Ruby was just sitting quietly at the end of the bench, her fingers gently fiddling with the brooch she pinned to the neck of her cape. She knew that she was under some very not-so-secretive supervision, but decided not to call Yang out for it. She was only trying to look out for her, after all. Over the past few days, thankfully, she had gotten better both emotionally and mentally, willingly spending more time with everyone and gradually getting her head back into the mission. 

It was, all things considered, a very slow process.

So once everyone reconvened, boarded the train, and then felt it lurch from the station, they all couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They were finally making their way to Atlas. Slowly, but surely, the next step of their plan was put into motion.

However, the sight of the bunk beds in Team RBY’s room was bittersweet. Yang and Blake took their respective top and bottom bunk, but Ruby ended up sitting in the bottom bunk on her side.

...It was just  _ her _ side now...

Ruby continued to fiddle with the brooch, feeling the smoothness of the sapphire before it led to the dangling silver pieces. It had quickly become a comforting item for her. Just having it in her hands was enough to calm her mind. She wasn’t even aware of how much time had passed until Yang called for her attention.

She opened her eyes, finding concerned lilac just a foot away. “Sorry, Yang. What was that?”

“We’re gonna get some food from the dining car. Did you want to come?” Truthfully, Yang wanted to force Ruby to go with them. Knowing that she’d be left alone for any amount of time was concerning, but she didn’t want to trap Ruby in a corner. So she gave her a choice with just a bit of persuasion. “I hear they always have desserts available.”

A small spark appeared in Ruby’s eyes at the mention of possible cookies, but she answered with a quiet, “Maybe later.”

Before Yang could counter her, Blake came up and rested a hand on her shoulder. The Faunus looked to her leader. “We’ll grab some for you.”

Ruby gave her a smile and it was genuine, easing the tension from the older girls. It was a small sign that she was getting better. Blake guided Yang out from their room, but while they walked down the hallway she messaged Jaune.

_ ‘Can you keep Ruby company? Yang and I are going to the dining car.’ _

A few seconds later:  _ ‘Yeah, of course. I’ll be right there.’ _

Blake sent him a quick thanks before informing Yang, earning an appreciative nod. Now they’ll have to talk about their own problems, but there would be time for that.

Ruby glanced up from her lap when she heard a knock on her cabin’s door. With great effort, she got out of her bunk and walked to the door, hitting a button to let it slide open. She had to crane her neck up in order to look Jaune in the eye as he gave her a small wave.

“Hey, Ruby. Are you...busy?” Jaune awkwardly asked with a smile.

“Not really. What are you up to?” she asked, letting him into the cabin. After she closed the door, she leaned back against the window. “Where are Ren and Nora?”

“Nora is probably trying to get the chef in the dining car to make pancakes,” Jaune guessed with a chuckle, standing in front of her with his arms crossed. “I’m sure Ren is there trying to lessen any damage she might cause.”

When Ruby cracked a smile at that image, Jaune felt some stress leave his shoulders. When Blake sent him that message to check in on her, he figured that she had another motive. He and Ruby had many things in common. They were each other’s first friend when they arrived at Beacon and that friendship had only become stronger on their journey through Anima. But in recent events, they’ve gained one more shared experience, even if it wasn’t pleasant.

Looking at Ruby’s distant stare, Jaune knew exactly why Blake sent him here. “So how are you doing?”

“Oh y’know, fine,” Ruby shrugged. “We’re finally out of Haven, so that’s good.”

“Yeah. That’s really good.” An awkward silence fell over them and Jaune fidgeted, rubbing the back of his head. He finally took in a breath. “Listen. I know that you must be going through a hard time right now. Trust me, I know,” he began as Ruby looked up at him. “So I wanted to see how you were  _ doing. _ If you wanted to talk or...anything. I’m here for you. We all are.”

The younger girl just let out a heavy sigh. Again her hand went to the sapphire. “I...I know that, Jaune. And I know how Yang and Blake must be feeling, and everyone, too, but I just can’t shake this. It’s… It’s different from Pyrrha and… I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be saying something like that, but… but it  _ is, _ ” Ruby scrunched up her face at the memory before looking over sadly at Jaune. “How do you get over that?”

The blond looked down in thought and took a few seconds to respond. “It...doesn’t really get any easier at first. If I’m being honest, then I haven’t gotten over it. I keep thinking that she’s going to walk through the door with a bright smile and a ‘hello,’ but…” he trailed off, a hand swiping quickly across his eyes. “Then I tell myself that maybe I could’ve done something more so she could still be here, that if I wasn’t such a coward back in Beacon, or if I’d been better at convincing her not to go alone...but the truth is that she’s gone and that I can’t do anything about it anymore.”

Ruby winced and said apologetically, “Jaune…”

He then looked back up with a determined expression. “But what we _can_ do is make sure that no one else has to suffer in the same way. That’s what Pyrrha would’ve wanted us to do because that’s what _she_ would’ve done for any of us. To not give up and to keep moving forward. To always _try._ And I’m sure that Weiss would’ve wanted the same thing for you.”

Ruby felt her heart clench as her eyes started to water. She could picture her friends clear as day when Jaune said those words. It was true, though. They wouldn’t want any of them to just give up like that, not when there were still people out there who needed them. A true Huntress would never leave without a fight.

But even the mightiest heroes needed time to grieve.

Ruby nodded with understanding as she began to cry, pressing the back of her hand to her eyes. “I--I get that, Jaune, I r-really do, but I just--I just--” She was suddenly enveloped in a hug and, even though his armor was in the way, she didn’t hesitate in hugging Jaune back.

“I know it’s hard that they’re gone, but you have to keep believing in yourself. That’s what they’d do for us,” Jaune murmured. “Please don’t give up, Ruby.”

The shorter girl sniffled, but nodded. “I promise.”

After they dried their tears and calmed down, the two continued to chat softly up until Yang and Blake returned. Jaune took that as his cue to leave, but first not without a hug from Ruby.

“Thank you, Jaune,” she told him. There was still sadness in her eyes, but her smile was more genuine.

“Anything for you, Ruby. I’ll see you guys later,” Jaune said as he passed by the other two partners, waving goodbye and walking down the hallway.

Yang then held out a plate of sweets, mainly of chocolate chip cookies. “Hey, we brought you some--” Before she could finish her sentence, she was bombarded with a blur of red. With practiced grace, she managed to keep the plate steady in one hand without letting any of the cookies fall out as she wrapped one arm around her sister. “Ruby? Are you okay??”

“I’m fine, Yang. I mean… I’m going to be okay,” she responded into her hug. “I know that I have you two here and...I’ll be here for you, too.”

Blake shared a smile with Yang as she joined their group hug, making sure to let each other know that they’ll help each other make it through this journey, no matter what it takes. They came apart with smiles and a little bit of tears in their eyes, but they started to look on the bright side. Namely: a plate full of sugar.

“Here, take these before I drop them all over the floor. I don’t think the five-second rule should apply to a train,” Yang said with a laugh, handing her sister the plate. “They still have some sandwiches if you wanted to have lunch.”

“I think she regains all of her energy from cookies,” Blake commented with amusement. “She already ate through half of them while you were talking.”

As if she was a deer caught in headlights, Ruby paused with a fourth cookie on its way to her mouth. “Don’t judge me.” The cookie was promptly devoured, earning a soft laugh from the other girls. It seemed like things would return to some degree of normal, which left Ruby feeling bittersweet. She didn’t let that thought linger too long, however, as she voiced a favorite past-time of theirs. “Who wants to play video games?”

Yang grinned. “I mean, if you want to get your butt kicked, then sure. Let me just grab my Scroll.” As she made her way to her bag, Blake hurried over and offered to help her take it down. With a small sigh, Yang turned to her. “Blake, you don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Faunus said, feigning innocence as her ears folded down.

“I’m fine.  _ We’re _ gonna be fine,” Yang reassured her as much as reassuring herself. “It’s just gonna be a bit before things are back to normal. But…” She glanced over at Ruby who gave her a small smile. “I am glad that we’re back together.”

With the encouragement from Yang, Blake managed a smile back. “Yeah, okay.”

“How touching.” The gravelly voice of Qrow caught their attention and they looked towards the doorway. They weren’t even surprised at the drink in his hand.

“Oh, hey Uncle Qrow,” Ruby greeted. She noticed the slight surprise in the man’s face, but he didn’t comment on her sudden energy. “Do you wanna play video games with us?”

He smirked with a short chuckle. “Kick your butts? Sure.”

Before he could reach for his own Scroll, the train car shook and he dropped his glass, shattering it. A distant screech could be heard as a few passengers started running down the hall.

“What was that?” Yang questioned.

Ruby’s face fell when she heard what was undoubtedly a Grimm, but she remembered Jaune’s words and resolved herself for a fight. She figured they were one of the few onboard who could handle an emergency like this.

Qrow ran over to the window, scanning the snowy landscape before looking towards the sky. “Grab your weapons!” he called, quickly turning and running out of the room.

The three girls heeded his words, each readying their weapons as they followed him out the side of the train, climbing up onto the roof and staying steady as the train kept speeding forward. A few train cars behind them were several Manticores. They were swooping around the pair of the Huntsmen who were tasked with guarding the train, but the men looked like they were overwhelmed.

When the largest Grimm, a Sphinx, slammed down onto the last train car and roared, one of the Huntsmen ran forward with his weapon charged. Unfortunately, before he could make it close enough, a Manticore flew by and easily swiped him, throwing him off of the train with a scream.

Holding their weapons out, Team RBY and Qrow prepared to enter the battle.

“What’s the plan, Ruby?” Blake questioned.

Holding Crescent Rose tightly and letting out a breath, their leader responded with a hard voice. “Don’t let anyone else die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the chapters go along, I'm sure you'll notice some of the word-for-word scenes. I'm working on trying to go around that to save time, but maybe stuff will make more sense if I keep them around.


End file.
